Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What recruitment channels and specialists do members use for on-trade and off-trade sales roles, and what's experience with commission-only hiring?
Members use a mix of general job boards and specialist recruiters for drinks-industry sales roles. **Recruitment channels:** - **LinkedIn** — highly recommended for roles with defined job titles where prior experience matters; members describe it as "amazing" for this type of hiring - **Indeed** — worthwhile because "almost everyone looks on it" - **Specialist recruiters** — e.g. **Lime Recruiting**, though noted as "way more expensive" than general platforms **Recruitment specialists:** - **New Chapter Consulting** — members have used them and recommend them, saying they "have a good network of people" - **Young Foodies** — one member is currently working with them but reports it's "not proving to be that productive" **Commission-only on-trade hiring:** One member confirmed they have experience hiring commission-only on-trade sales people, but the discussion excerpts do not contain details of their approach, challenges, or recommendations. **Caveats:** The discussion shows members actively recruiting for account manager and on-trade sales roles, but most specifics are light. The commission-only experience was affirmed but not elaborated.
What recruitment agencies or recruiters specialise in the drinks industry and have experience on both brand and buyer sides?
Members recommend two recruiters with strong drinks-industry experience: - **Simon Slevin** — described as a good recruiter within drinks with relevant experience. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonslevin/?originalSubdomain=uk Members praised him as "really nice guy too." - **Jake Merrick (Marvel Recruitment)** — recommended as "a great guy." He has direct drinks-sector experience, having worked for Martin Millers and then Indie Brands before moving into recruitment. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-merrick-wren-6b5071115 Members note Marvel is "doing well in the industry."
What recruitment agencies and strategies do Kindred members recommend for hiring drinks industry roles, and what are typical salary expectations?
## Recruitment Agencies & Contacts Members recommend several agencies with drinks industry experience: - **Marvel** — Jake Merrick-Wren recommended for recruitment - **Young Foodies** — praised for mid-level recruitment services - **CORE** — recommended for on-trade recruitment - **New Chapter** — Emma Forster (emma.forster@newchapter.co.uk) highly rated for on-trade hospitality experience - **Seven** — Lucy McMullan recommended - **The Advocate Group** — Kayleigh works with them ## Sales & Event Staff For on-trade sales roles at mid-level, members suggest: - **Fusion** and **VinoKelly** — both supply on-trade sales staff; contact Gareth or Elizabeth on +447789915197 (VinoKelly) - **Poaching ex wine or spirits sales people** — suggested as a direct sourcing strategy - For event-based sales staff (e.g., promotional events), members noted they have direct connections and recommended reaching out to the community via DM ## Salary Expectations For an operations manager with drinks industry experience (managing whisky cask, bottling planning, inventory), members suggested **£60k as a starting point**, though this varies significantly by location and operation size. Members recommended checking job listing sites like Grocer for current market rates specific to your region. ## Caveat Members noted that recruitment agencies in the drinks industry are "costly and in need of serious disruption," so budget accordingly.
Where should drinks founders source talent for brand development, marketing, and operations roles?
Recruitment is competitive in the drinks sector, but several channels have proven effective. **LinkedIn Recruiter** has been the most successful for members—it allows filtering by job title and industry (e.g. "digital marketing executive" in "food and beverages"), then reaching out via DM to relevant candidates. The volume of generic applicants via standard LinkedIn job posts is high but mostly irrelevant. **The Copy Club** has been recommended specifically for marketing and operations roles. They pre-screen applicants before forwarding them to you, which eliminates unsuitable candidates. Members can request a contact number internally. **University careers teams** — if you have connections at universities around the country, careers teams can be a source of graduate talent; members with academic links are happy to facilitate introductions via DM. **Professional networks** have yielded the best candidates for members filling recent roles, suggesting that word-of-mouth and industry connections outperform formal recruitment channels. Members note that the recruitment market has been tough, with many generic job-board candidates being unsuitable. The most successful approach requires active prospecting rather than passive job posting.
How effective is the UK Kickstarter recruitment scheme for finding candidates outside London?
Members' experience with the Kickstarter scheme has been mixed, with significant geographic limitations. The scheme works best when you bypass the lead provider and engage directly with your local job centre, but the default setup often fails in regional areas. **Key findings:** - **Gradfuel** (a Kickstarter administrator) has been unreliable for regional recruitment—members report they signed up for multiple positions, completed DWP paperwork, but admitted all their candidate sourcing happens in London. One Manchester-based business found Gradfuel unable to deliver any suitable candidates despite setup promises. - **Job centre engagement varies significantly by location.** Members had better results going directly to their local job centre for candidate referrals rather than relying on the intermediary. One member in Chelmsford reported good outcomes when the local job centre and their Kickstarter manager worked well together; another found direct applications through their local job centre yielded 3–5 good candidates after struggling with assessment day referrals. - **The scheme's transparency problem:** The way Kickstarter roles are advertised is "ludicrously opaque." One member in London had hundreds of applicants on LinkedIn but none found the Kickstarter listing because it required being on Universal Credit and matched by a specific job centre—which was closed due to COVID, blocking walk-in registrations. - **Incentive misalignment:** Members suspect providers are paid a flat fee per hire regardless of fit, so they sign up as many businesses as possible without capacity to deliver candidates. - **Quality concerns:** Even successful placements saw struggles. One member noted receiving "terrible candidates" in assessment days, and another who took on a young person "frankly it's been a struggle" despite wanting to help. One reported receiving exclusively male applicants, suggesting potential job centre or matching issues. **Bottom line:** The scheme can work if your local job centre is engaged and you manage expectations, but don't rely on intermediaries like Gradfuel outside London. Go direct to your local job centre and set realistic timelines (one member waited nearly 4 months). Members suggested collective action to hold intermediaries accountable if problems are widespread.
What is the current market rate for a sales manager role in the drinks industry, specifically one leading group/tender/export discussions?
Members suggest using **PayScale** (https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Country=United_Kingdom/Salary) as a starting point for UK salary benchmarking. One member reported that PayScale's results looked reasonable, though potentially "a bit low at the top end." The role specification matters significantly—job titles in sales can be quite specific depending on whether you're managing a team, a national account, a region, or brand ambassadors. For a sales manager role leading group, tender and export discussions (with separate on-the-ground CASK coverage and a brand ambassador for training/sampling), PayScale was considered a reasonable reference point, with the caveat that senior end figures may run higher in practice.
Where can I find a freelance social media or digital marketing manager?
Members have successfully used freelance social media managers to support their digital efforts. The specific recommendation from the community is: - **Lauren Halliday** (+44 7921 198789) — Highly praised by members as "amazing" and recommended without reservation for digital marketing and social media management work. Members also noted that **wearecreation.com** was mentioned as another potential resource in the discussion. No other detailed vendor reviews or pricing information was shared in the community discussion, so Lauren Halliday represents the directly-vetted recommendation from this group.
What are members' experiences with Gradfuel as a graduate recruitment placement service?
Members reported mixed and largely negative experiences with Gradfuel as a graduate recruitment provider. **Gradfuel** presented themselves as having national coverage but admitted they only had London-based resources, causing issues for companies outside the capital (e.g. Manchester-based hiring). Specific problems included: - **Limited candidate pool**: One member received only one applicant for a brand ambassador role after initial placement, forcing them to re-specify the position to accounts administrator instead. - **Poor transparency**: A candidate was placed through Gradfuel without disclosing they had previously been employed through the same scheme, leading to the placement being withdrawn. - **Credit loss**: Members reported unused placement credits effectively disappearing—one member asked if their third credit "disappeared into thin air" with no clear resolution. - **Incomplete placements**: One contact (Henrietta Tillbury) worked with a company but was unable to fill a third position after two initial placements succeeded. Members described the start as "really painful" and noted Gradfuel's national credentials pitch did not match their actual service capability. At least one member explored formal complaints about lost placements.
Which recruitment agencies do members recommend for hiring senior marketing and commercial staff in the drinks industry?
Members have limited but positive experience with specialist recruiters for senior roles. The main recommendation: - **Marvel** — recommended for senior marketing and commercial positions; contact details available from members. Members also noted that **Indeed** charges significant fees and encouraged exploring alternatives beyond major job boards. Several members indicated they have additional recruitment suggestions available via direct message, suggesting a network of trusted contacts exists within the community for specific hiring needs. **Note:** The community discussion suggests personal referrals and word-of-mouth are the primary method for vetting recruiters in this space—members explicitly named "quite a few bad ones" but preferred to recommend only those they'd directly used or trusted.
How can small drinks brands protect themselves from aggressive recruiter fee claims and predatory practices?
Some recruiters are using aggressive tactics to claim fees, including sending unsolicited CVs with terms and conditions embedded in emails, then claiming acceptance and threatening legal action for 25%+ fees even when you're already working with another recruiter or the candidate came via a different source. **Key protective measures:** - **Document everything** — Keep clear records of which recruiter (if any) initially sent each candidate to you. Email chains proving the source are your best defence against false claims. - **Respond explicitly to unsolicited recruiter emails** — If a recruiter sends you CVs with T&Cs, reply explicitly stating you do not accept their terms and are not engaging their services. Don't let silence be interpreted as acceptance. - **Don't sign anything** — Avoid signing recruiter paperwork unless you've actively chosen to work with them. Embedded T&Cs in emails do not create a binding agreement. - **Know the reality of their threats** — Members note that most recruiters threatening court action lack the time and resources to actually follow through. However, it's still worth the small effort of formally declining their terms to avoid any stress. **Caveat:** This is an old problem in recruitment, and while aggressive, most claims are bluffs. Still, a simple written rejection of their terms is cheap insurance against the headache.
Which recruitment firms or services does the community recommend for finding drinks industry talent, particularly sales interns?
Members have recommended **Marvel Recruitment** as a specialist in the drinks industry. The contact is jake@marvelfmcg.co.uk; the founder has an ex-spirits background and has indicated a willingness to offer a discount to Kindred members. For sales intern recruitment specifically, members have found success but no alternative specialist platforms or firms were named in the discussion. The recommendation is to start with Marvel Recruitment given their drinks industry expertise.
What are the best practices and platforms for recruiting drinks-industry talent?
Members report mixed success with traditional job boards. **LinkedIn** has become problematic due to its one-click apply feature, which generates high volumes of irrelevant applications; recruiters using the platform also tend to put forward the same candidates repeatedly, often with inflated salary expectations relative to the role. The community's preferred approach is **organic sourcing through personal recommendations and networks**. Several members emphasize this yields better-quality candidates than paid recruitment channels. Direct referrals from trusted contacts within the industry appear to be the most reliable method for finding relevant talent, particularly for specialist roles. Note: The market is currently challenging for mid-market employers without large recruitment budgets; candidates are increasingly seeking significant salary premiums (10–20%+ above advertised) even for standard roles.
How do you find part-time brand ambassadors or sampling representatives for specific geographic areas?
Members recommend leveraging your existing network first — direct outreach within the community often yields results, with contacts shared via DM when a relevant person is identified. **Geographic targeting**: When posting requests, specify your target area (e.g. London, Cambridge, West London, Buckinghamshire) to help members flag local contacts. Students are mentioned as ideal candidates for part-time sampling work due to flexibility. **Direct network approach**: Rather than external job boards, members use the Kindred Collective itself — post your requirement and let the community connect you with people they know personally or have worked with. This builds trust and gives you pre-vetted candidates. **Caveats**: The excerpts show responses were informal and relationship-based rather than pointing to a specific recruitment platform or agency.
What are the current challenges in recruiting administrative and office staff for drinks businesses?
Members are reporting significant difficulty finding suitable administrative and office personnel, even for well-paid roles. One member posted to Fish-4-Jobs and Reed simultaneously and received 10 applicants over three weeks, but none were suitable—notably, 6 of the applicants were from overseas. The member noted this was the most challenging recruitment experience they'd had in the industry, questioning whether COVID-related factors were contributing to the shortage of quality candidates for administrative positions.